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Rh poison itself had erected all about it, like a barricade; the blood could not circulate near it."

"You mean then that Mrs. Lorne could have been constantly reinfected by any sharp instrument that would pierce the skin anywhere on the body and convey the bacteria to the blood, just as she had been first infected?"

"Exactly. Neither Doctor Adams nor the specialists could have suspected the possibility of such a thing; and a pinprick would leave no noticeable trace. That was the idea which kept recurring to my mind. I told myself that I must be crazy to think of it; but then Julian died, and I could see my own fears reflected in the faces of the whole family. After that there came the two accidents to Gene and Dad, and that settled it."

"Why did you not tell me of all this before?" Odell looked straight into the boy's eyes. "When we had our first talk you said nothing about having the bacteria in your possession."

"I didn't want to get hauled off to jail on suspicion before I had an opportunity to do a little investigating on my own account; I wanted to discover if I could whether anyone had really been at my books or tampered with the bacteria in the incubator. You see, I hadn't much faith in your perspicacity, Sergeant; and I was under the impression that you would be in such a hurry to make out a case against the first person circumstantial evidence might point to that you wouldn't hesitate.—A fat lot of good it did for me to keep silent!" he added with a shrug. "I've thought the whole matter over in my mind, and tried to imagine each member of the family in turn as guilty; but it didn't work. I know their faults and shams to the last tiresome, petty weakness;